Published: January 02, 2009 11:42 pm            

Clay City, South Putnam to play for Eagle Holiday Classic championship

PUTNAMVILLE — The Clay City Eels and the South Putnam Eagles, the teams that got the ball inside most often, advanced to the championship game of the Eagle Holiday Classic at South Putnam High School on Friday night.

Clay City forwards Will Kennedy and Jordan Defore combined for 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Eels’ 60-52 victory over Cascade in the opening game.

Five South Putnam players scored in double figures, as the Eagles overpowered the shorthanded North Vermillion Falcons 75-59 in the second game.

Like many other high school basketball games on today’s schedule, South Putnam officials moved up the game times so fans can get home in time to watch the Indianapolis Colts’ NFL playoff game. The consolation game between North Vermillion and Cascade will start at 4 p.m., followed by the championship game between Clay City and South Putnam at approximately 5:45 p.m.

Playing for the first time in two weeks, Clay City never trailed Cascade. Kennedy scored seven of his 13 points in the first quarter, while Defore scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Eels hold off the Cadets.

“Our kids did a better job as far as having some purpose of getting it inside and getting it to the basket. I thought we attacked the basket fairly well and looked to get it inside,” Clay City coach Grant McVay said.

Cascade got within two, 23-21 in the second quarter, but two free throws by Levi Seymour and a Logan Higgins layoff off a slick pass from Braxton Griffith gave Clay City a 27-21 halftime lead.

“[Kennedy] was a real presence for us in the middle [in the first quarter]. He hit a 3, but it was a wide-open 3,” McVay said.

Clay City took a 41-35 lead into the fourth quarter and gradually built its lead to 14 points, 52-38 on a Kennedy-Defore eruption. Defore hit two free throws and Kennedy followed with a basket. Defore put back a rebound and scored a lay up and added another free throw that put the Eels up by 14 with 3:09 to play.

“[Defore] really did a lot of good things for us tonight,” McVay said.

In game two, North Vermillion took the floor without 6-6 center Ryan Buchhaas, who was suspended one game for a team rules issue, according to coach Mike Ahrens.

South Putnam took advantage of the open middle with Conor Frame (12 points), Adam Masters (11), Noah Boswell (11) and Dayne Nelson (10) scoring all but three of their points inside. That foursome was complemented by guard Cameron Chestnut with 17 points, including two 3-pointers.

“We have big strong kids. We try to get a couple [ball] reversals every time down the floor [and] a couple of post touches every time. We feel of we do that it’s going to open up our outside [shots] and also we can take advantage inside,” South Putnam coach Micah Elliott said.

North Vermillion was led by Jacob Rankin with 18 points, followed by guards Zach Jumps and Scott Leigh with 14 points each.

South Putnam, leading 14-10 at the first stop and 31-25 at halftime, built a 46-30 lead midway through the third quarter when Chestnut hit a 3.

But that’s where the Falcons drew the line.

North Vermillion put together a 10-1 run to get back within seven, 47-40, with 1:16 left in the quarter. Rankin scored the run with two points, followed by deuces from Lane Clark and Scott Leigh. Jumps capped the Falcons flight with two baskets and the margin was now seven points with more than a quarter to play.

But free throws by South Putnam’s Frame and bucket from Nelson gave the Eagles a 53-43 lead going into the fourth quarter. Boswell scored the first six points of the last period and the Eagles were in control to stay.

“It was too big of a mountain to climb. The game was so physical to begin with. I was real proud of them [for] how hard they played. They didn’t back down. We knew it was going to be a physical game.

That’s the way they played,” North Vermillion’s Ahrens said.



CASCADE (52) — Waggoner 2-4 0-0 5, Arthur 1-5 0-0 2, Heimansohn 4-5 0-0 8, Guthrie 5-10 1-3 12, Spencer 2-9 0-0 5, Pelley 3-3 2-4 8, Dunn 5-8 0-1 10, Alltop 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 22-46 FG, 5-10 FT, 52 TP.

CLAY CITY (60) — Kennedy 4-11 4-4 13, Defore 4-7 3-5 11, Seymour 2-3 2-2 6, Griffith 3-10 1-2 9, Rhodes 1-2 0-0 3, Heffner 2-5 1-2 5, Newton 0-0 2-2 2, Higgins 5-7 1-1 11. Totals 21-45 FG, 14-18 FT, 60 TP.

Cascade 13 8 14 17 — 52

Clay City 19 8 14 19 — 60

3-point goals — Cas 3-10 (Waggoner 1-2, Guthrie 1-2, Spencer 1-5, Alltop 0-1), CC 4-11 ( Griffith 2-5, Rhodes 1-2, Kennedy 1-3, Defore 0-1). Total fouls: Cas 19, CC 13. Turnovers — Cas 17, CC 15. Rebounds: Cas 24 (Pelley, Dunn 5), CC 31 (Kennedy 8).



NORTH VERMILLION (59) — Rankin 7-17 2-3 18, Clore 1-2 1-2 3, Clark 3-5 2-2 8, Jumps 5-18 4-4 14, Goins 0-1 0-0 0, Morgan 0-2 0-0 0, Allen 1-2 0-0 2, Leigh 5-12 0-0 14. Totals 22-59 FG, 9-11 FT, 59 TP.

SOUTH PUTNAM (75) — Dean 2-3 0-2 4, Boswell 3-10 5-5 11, Masters 5-9 1-2 11, Frame 4-11 3-4 12, Chestnut 6-11 3-5 17, Nelson 4-8 2-4 10, Cash 2-9 1-2 6, Vickery 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 28-63 FG, 15-24 FT, 75 TP.

North Vermillion 10 15 18 16 — 59

South Putnam 14 17 22 22 — 75

3-point goals — NV 6-20 (Leigh 4-9, Rankin 2-8, Morgan 0-1, Jumps 0-1, Goins 0-1), SP 4-12 (Chestnut 2-7, Frame 1-2, Cash 1-2, Boswell 0-1). Total

fouls: NV 19, SP 14. Fouled out — none. Turnovers — NV 9, SP 7. Rebounds: NV 34 (Clark 10), SP 42 (Boswell 9, Masters 8).

Next — At 4 p.m. today at South Putnam High School , Cascade (1-5) plays North Vermillion (3-4) and at 5:30 p.m., Clay City (3-3) plays South Putnam (3-5).

        

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